Apparatus for disinfecting shoes and the like



Feb. 16, 1937. L. A. DES JARDINS El AL APPARATUS FOR DISINFECTING SHOESAND THE LIKE Filed June 24, 1955 a U a a an PM E 1R Z 6 r 2 .4 M? w 5 w4 0 z V I J F 5 9 9 m a a m v w w w n M 4 m w w w a I W. w WW W a 3 w 40, w 2 1 m fl 8 w 1 1 Q Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNETED STATES PATENTOFFICE APPARATUS FOR DISINFECTING SHOES AND THE LIKE Application June24, 1935, Serial No. 28,150

2 Claims.

This invention relates to heating devices adapted for insertion intoshoes and the like for disinfecting the same. The invention includes aprocess of disinfecting shoes and the like by heat treatment.

More specifically, this invention relates to a device for insertion intoshoes to heat the same and kill germs therein.

It is known that contaminated feet can readily deposit germs such as,for example, trichophyton, which causes ringworm of the feet;streptococci, which causes streptococcic infection of the blood;staphylacocci, which causes pus infection; and bacteria featidum, whichcauses a condition of foot odor, into shoes.

The human foot cannot easily become infected unless there is someabrasion of the skin present, through which these germs can gainentrance. From time to time as slight abrasions are formed in the skinof the toes, and in the presence of any of the aforementioned germs,infection takes place. The use of the heating device of this inventionas a shoe sterilizer can prevent this infection.

The most common and the most tenacious infection in the skin of the footis that of ringworm. A popular method of treatment to cure thisinfection consists in the exfoliation of the skin of the foot so thatthe spores in the skin will be thrown off with the discarded skin. Inexfoliating, the skin carries these spores which are deposited in theshoes, most commonly in the insoles and the sides of the forepart of theshoes, where they remain until they can reinfect the foot when newabrasions of the skin occur.

It has been found by dermatologists that these spores actually havelived in a culture for 433 days on dry paper, and could be developedafter that time. This proves that a drying of the shoes alone is notsufiicient.

I-leretofore, there have been two ways of preventing reinfection byshoes of contaminated feet after curing the same. The first way has beento discard the shoes after the feet have been cured. The second methodconsists of the use of various disinfectants in the shoes. However,disinfectants have strong odors and cannot be used in sufiicientproportions to kill the spores without actually soaking the shoes in thedisinfectant. It is obvious, of course, that the shoes cannot be soakedin a disinfectant without injuring the shoes.

We have therefore now provided a sterilizing apparatus for temporaryinsertion into shoes to heat the same at a constant temperature withindefined limits, and we have found that this heat treatment positivelykills germs commonly causing foot infection. The use of this apparatustherefore prevents the necessity for discarding infected shoes and alsoaffords a prophylactic measure for shoe sterilization beforecontamination of the foot occurs.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a sterilizingdevice for shoes and the like adapted to kill germs by radiation ofheat.

Another object of this invention is to provide a heating element forinsertion into shoes.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a method ofheat-treating shoes for disinfecting the same.

A further object of this invention is to sterilize shoes without the aidof disinfectants.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed ,description of the annexed sheet of drawings,

which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention.

On the drawing:

Figure 1 is an isometric View showing the manner in which a pair ofsterilizing devices of thisinvention are inserted into a pair of shoes.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View, with parts in elevation, taken in ahorizontal plane across the sterilizing device of this invention.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional View taken substantially alongthe line IIL-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional View taken substantially alongthe line IV-IV of Figure 2.

As shown on the drawing. In Figure 1, the reference numerals l indicategenerally the sterilizing devices of this invention inserted into a pairof shoes II. The devices are connected through ordinary lamp cord wiresl2 joined together as at l3, to a plug I 4 for insertion into anelectric socket.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the sterilizing or heating device l0comprises a metal container having a tapered portion H3 at one endthereof and a raised portion H at the other end thereof. The container15 is closed by a cap I8 at the end I! thereof. The cap or cover 18 mayhave flanges i9 formed around its periphery adapted to slide over theportion ll of the container and be held thereon in frictionalengagement. It is obvious that the cover 18 may be brazed or soldered tothe container if desired, or it may be held thereon by means of screwsextending through the flanges l9 and the container walls.

A heating element 20 is inserted in the container l5 and comprises aplurality of mica sheets 2| held together by eyelets 22 to form a rigidsupport for a nichrome resistance Wire 23 which is wound therearound, asshown in Figure 2. It is obvious that means other than mica may be usedas the support for the resistance wire 23.

A pair of eyelets 22 are secured to the mica sheets 2| near the endthereof, as shown in Figure 2, and have metal plates 24 securedthereunder. The conductors 25 and 26 of the cord l2 are secured to themetal plates 24 by soldering, as at 21 and 28. One of the plates 24 isconnected through a wire 29 to a binding post 30 of a bimetal thermostatdevice 3|.

The thermostat device 3| comprises an elongated metal container orcasing 32. The binding post 30 of the thermostat device 3| is connectedwith a bimetallic arm 33 (Figures 3 and 4) but is insu1ated from thecontainer 32, as shown in Figure 4, by insulation strips34 and 35. Thebinding post 33 may conveniently be secured on the container 32 ininsulated relation thereto and in electrical contact with the bimetalarm 33 by means of eyelets or rivets 36 which extend through an openingin the top of the container in spaced relationfrom the container wallsbut which clamp the insulation strips 34 and 35 against the topcontainer wall to securely hold the binding post 30' and the bimetallicarm on and in the housing respectively, in insulated relation thereto.

A contact point 31 is threaded through the housing 32 and is adapted tocontact the bimetallic arm 33, as shown in Figure 4. This contact pointmay be manually set by threading the same a desired distance into thecontainer 32. The container 32 can conveniently be soldered onto a pairof eyelets 22 extending through the mica sheet, as shown at 38 and 39.

Current from the cord I2 flows into the contact members 24 through theconductors 25 and 25. Current from the conductor 25 flows through thewire 29 and binding post 30 into the bimetallic arm 33. Current from theother conductor 26 flows through the contact member 24 into the returnwire 49 of the heating coil 23. This wire is shown in dotted lines inFigure 2 and preferably extends between the mica plates or sheets 2! ininsulated relation from the wire 23 wound around the sheet. Thecontainer 32 is in contact with the wire 23, and when the bimetallic arm33 contacts the point 31, the current flows through the wire. However,when the heat generated within the sterilizing device exceeds a desiredrange, the bimetal arm is expanded away from the contact 31 and the flowof current is broken. The thermostat device 3| may be set to maintainany desired temperature, but we have found that temperatures of 132degrees F. are sufficient to kill the germs causing the most commoninfections of the feet, such as trichophyton, streptococci,staphylococci and bacteria featidum.

The cord l2 extends through the cover N3 of the device in an insulatednipple 4| of the usual construction. A coiled wire 42 is disposed overthe nipple 4| to prevent a breaking of the wire, and as is customary,the cord I2 is knotted as at 43 inside the container to permit a pullingof the cord against the nipple 4| without breaking the contacts 21 and28.

The heating element 23 is preferably encased over the wrapping 44 aroundthe end of the heating element as at 41 (Figures 2 and 3) and over thetop of the heating element as at 48. This asbestos wrapping is desirableto insulate the heating element 20 from its metal container and at thesame time to equalize the heating of the entire container, therebypreventing overheating at some points which might be detrimental to theshoes being treated.

The top layer 48 of the outer asbestos wrapping extends over thethermostat device 3| as shown at 49. Therefore, as soon as thetemperature within the container I5 exceeds a predetermined point, thebimetallic arm 33 springs away from the contact point 31 and theelectrical contact is broken until the temperature withinthe container[5 falls below the desired range. In this manner, the sterilizingdevices of this invention may be inserted into shoes when the owner ofthe shoes retires at night, and the sterilization treatment willcontinue intermittently all night without damaging the shoes because ofexcess heat. However, all of the germs causing the common footcontaminations will have been killed and the owner of the shoes canimmediately again wear the same free from noxious odors ordinarilycaused by disinfectants.

From the above description, it should be understood that we haveprovided sterilizing devices for insertion into shoes to kill germscausing foot contamination. These devices may be used singly or inpairs, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, are simple in operation andemciently radiate heat through all parts of the shoes without damagingor burning the same. The amount of heat radiation desired can be readilyregulated by a thermostat device incorporated in the sterilizer. Itshould also be understood that we have provided a method for sterilizingshoes by heat treatment. We have found that germs causing common footdisorders are killed at temperatures of from 126 to 136 degrees F.,preferably 132 degrees F., and have provided a method for killing thesegerms at this temperature by a uniform dry heat. The heat treatment needonly be applied for two hours.

We are aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and We, therefore, do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by theprior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A shoe sterilizer comprising an elongated metal container having atapered portion at one end thereof for insertion into the toes of shoes,a thickened portion at the other end of said container, a cover disposedover the end of said thickened portion for closing said container, micasheets having nichrome wires wound around them for forming a heatingelement in said container, a thermostat casing secured on said micasheets in electrical circuit with the heating element wires, abimetallic arm in said casing in insulated relation therefrom, a contactpoint threaded through said thermostat casing for contacting saidbimetallic arm, and means for connecting said bimetallic arm with anelectrical conductor whereby an electrical circuit may flow through saidnichrome wires when said bimetallic arm contacts said contact point.

2. A sterilizer adapted for loosely inserting into an article of wearingapparel and comprising an elongated metallic container presentingrelative- 1y large upper and lower flat radiating surfaces, saidcontainer having one end tapered, a strip of insulating material havingits periphery substantially conforming with the interior periphery ofthe container, a heating element surrounding said strip, a thermostatcasing supported on said strip and electric-ally connected to one end ofthe heating element, a temperature responsive bimetallic arminsulatingly supported in said casing and adapted to cooperate with saidcasing to open and close an electrical circuit through the arm andeasing, means for connecting said arm and other end of the heatingelement to an electrical circuit, and an insulating lining disposedbetween the heating element and thermostat casing and the container.

LEONARD A. DES JARDINS.

FRED R. FLEMING.

